John Dau Biography

Born in war-torn South Sudan, John Dau is one of 27,000 boys driven from their villages when the northern Arab government attacked the ethnic minority population of Southern Sudan in 1987.

Dau now speaks professionally throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe and serves as founder and president of The John Dau Foundation and South Sudan Institute, both non-governmental organizations based in Syracuse, New York. Dau has invested at least $3 million on projects in South Sudan.

In 2006, he was featured in the award-winning documentary film God Grew Tired of Us, and wrote his first book, also entitled God Grew Tired of Us: A Memoir, published by National Geographic in 2007.

As a human rights activist for the people of South Sudan, John Dau lived a remarkable life of cultural adaptation. He has received many prestigious awards, including the National Geographic Emerging Explorers Award, and was a Volvo for Life finalist in the Quality of Life category, which carried a financial contribution from Volvo to The John Dau Foundation. He was also named, alongside DRC president Joseph Kabila, a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader for 2008 and, together with Former Secretary of State Gen. Collin Powell, he has received a Most Caring Award from the Caring Institute. As a leader, Dau is an experienced social entrepreneur. He started four tax-exempt not-for-profit organizations, one of which is now running the Duk Lost Boys Clinic in Duk County.

Dau completed his associates degree at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, New York, and progressed to the BA level in policy studies at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship, from which he graduated in May 2011.

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